Amanda Staveley’s proposal to take Newcastle United off Mike Ashley’s hands must be looking tempting right now for the Sports Direct magnate.

Even at £300million, the club can be classed as a good value sale because if Ashley decides to take United off the market he is going to have to spend money in January to avoid risking relegation.

He wasn’t there on Saturday night but somebody should tell him that the TV money due in the summer could be the first and last payment on that score.

Once again, Newcastle - on Ashley’s watch - find themselves battling against the drop because they opted against spending money in the summer transfer window.

They quibbled over what most clubs would deem a drop in the ocean for transfers just because they wanted sparkling balance sheets.

Even with a top class manager in Rafa Benitez they were going to be up against it this season but they ignored his plea to sign an experienced keeper, defensive cover and bring in Tammy Abraham and pay for a loan deal.

In the immediate aftermath of the 3-2 defeat against Leicester City, Alan Shearer summed it up for the fans when he tweeted: “Sell our club Mr Ashley to someone who wants to be here before it’s too late again.”

Well, Staveley wants to be here, and she wants to work with Benitez to make the club great again - only the custodians at Newcastle are preventing that from happening as they drive a hard bargain.

Watch the electric atmosphere at St James' Park

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

The video will start in 8Cancel

Play now

As Newcastle celebrated their 125th anniversary, Ashley was in the United States on business, but his absence was hardly a big talking point as the owner lost interest in watching the club he bought in 2007 a long time ago.

He’s no longer a regular at St James’ and the days of him donning a black and white shirt are also long gone.

Last weekend Graeme Souness stated that Benitez must learn to deal with the pressure of being at a top club, but what exactly was he talking about?

Newcastle are a shell of a club compared to the one that Souness managed and enjoyed plenty of spending money in the mid-noughties.

United have a great stadium, scores of fans and a proud history - but they are no longer a top club in terms of ambition and vision.

Even Benitez - who has won major trophies around Europe - has been left to struggle on and try to scrape to safety this season.

Benitez hasn’t even got time to reassess the club’s youth system and struggling reserve set-up because every hour on the training pitch counts this season.

poll loading

Do you think NUFC will go down?

13000+ VOTES SO FAR

Newcastle can’t compete with AFC Bournemouth, Burnley and Watford in terms of wages and the sorry state of affairs on the pitch is there for all to see at the moment.

A minority of fans are pointing the finger at Benitez at the moment, but who would do a better job with the players United have?

Benitez leaving would only result in another one of Ashley’s picks taking over - or somebody who’s desperate for a job?

Unless the prospect of another Joe Kinnear, Dennis Wise or Alan Pardew appointment appeals to you of course.

Those are the type of people United have turned to in the last 10 years but Benitez’s arrival was the promise of something exciting, only Newcastle’s board haven’t fully backed him.

Talks between Ashley and Staveley this week raised hopes of a possible sale some time after Christmas.

It doesn’t look like that will be in time for Benitez to spend in the transfer window but it’s scenario fans would accept if it meant a change of owner.